Dear colleagues and students
This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent developments on campus.
1. Vision 2030 engagement sessions
Since July the university executive has conducted virtual engagement sessions with staff and labour unions on the further development of UCT’s framework for Vision 2030. These engagements were important spaces where staff could share input and create ownership of a reimagined UCT. Engagements with student representatives will follow.
2. College of Fellows welcomes new members
Once a year UCT Fellowships recognise original, distinguished academic work that merits special acknowledgement through induction into the College of Fellows. This year, six permanent UCT academics have been awarded a Fellowship, while seven have been granted the Young Researcher award. For the first time, the special event to celebrate these academics is open to the entire UCT community. It will be held on Tuesday, 17 November at 18:30 on the Microsoft Teams platform.
3. Using Jammie Shuttles during this period
To help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on campus, UCT needs to limit the use of Jammie Shuttles only to students who have been invited formally back to campus. As a result, only students who are in possession of the appropriate documents (a letter of invitation back to campus and a letter of authority) may use the Jammie Shuttles. UCT appreciates the cooperation of students as this is part of our effort as a campus community to limit the spread of COVID-19.
4. Update on UCT’s COVID-19 cases
As at 10 November, UCT has 108 reported cases of COVID-19 among non-health sciences staff members, with 96 recoveries. A total of 54 students have tested positive, including 16 Faculty of Health Sciences students on clinical platforms. The university pays tribute to the nine staff members and one student who have passed on due to the virus (as well as the lives lost during this period due to other causes) through a dedicated page on the UCT website.
5. ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 15 November
Please note that on Sunday, 15 November 2020, the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department will perform scheduled maintenance from 09:00 to 17:00. Unless advised to the contrary, staff and students should note that no ICT services will be available for the duration of the maintenance slot. Please remember to consult the scheduled ICTS maintenance slots for 2020 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, and other activities that require ICT services.
Communication and Marketing Department
Read previous communications:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Please view the republishing articles page for more information.
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020. UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.
Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.
On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.
With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi PhakengWith the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.
If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.
IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning
We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.